Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, Central Railway has stepped up its environmental awareness and anti-plastic initiatives across stations, workshops and divisions, with a strong focus on reducing single-use plastics, promoting waste segregation and encouraging sustainable practices.
The campaign, which began on May 15, is being conducted across Central Railway’s five divisions and has brought together railway employees, passengers, vendors, non-governmental organisations and school students through a range of activities, including seminars, workshops, awareness rallies, inspections and street plays.
“Central Railway remains committed to sustainable infrastructure reforms and appeals to passengers to actively support efforts to keep railway premises free of single-use plastics,” said Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway.
As part of the drive, the Mumbai Division conducted inspections at vendor stalls across stations to reinforce the ban on single-use plastics and encourage the adoption of biodegradable alternatives. Public announcement systems were also used to urge commuters to carry reusable water bottles instead of relying on packaged drinking water.
A key element of the campaign has been the promotion of Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines (PBCMs) installed at railway stations to facilitate proper disposal and recycling of plastic waste. Awareness activities encouraging passengers to use these machines were carried out at Nashik Road station, while a new PBCM was commissioned at the Solapur coaching depot.
Central Railway also organised cultural programmes and street plays at stations such as Bhusawal, Nagpur, Pandharpur, Kalaburagi and Shegaon to spread awareness about environmental issues, including pollution control, water conservation, tree plantation and waste management.
One of the campaign’s notable initiatives was a seminar held at Matunga on reducing microplastic pollution caused by flexible packaging waste. Employees were trained to partially cut milk and oil pouches in a manner that keeps the detached portion connected to the packet, preventing small plastic fragments from entering the environment.
In addition, environmental awareness sessions were conducted for schoolchildren in Mumbai Division, while Pune Division partnered with NGOs to organise drawing competitions and outreach programmes. Railway officials also carried out water quality inspections, serviced RO purification systems, and cleaned water refilling points across workshops and depots to reduce dependence on disposable plastic bottles.
The campaign is being implemented across the Mumbai, Bhusawal, Nagpur, Pune and Solapur divisions, as well as railway workshops located in Matunga, Sanpada and Nashik Road, reinforcing Central Railway’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Source: The Indian Express
